


you loved me at once

by liionne



Series: A thousand ways to meet [23]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Sleeping Beauty, Car Accidents, Coma, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-21
Updated: 2013-12-21
Packaged: 2018-01-05 11:00:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1093097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liionne/pseuds/liionne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Haven't ran this by my beta, so I apologise for any mistakes.</p>
    </blockquote>





	you loved me at once

**Author's Note:**

> Haven't ran this by my beta, so I apologise for any mistakes.

"You know you're gonna get this job when your dad retires, right?"

Leonard turned to look at M'Benga over his shoulder, and he shrugged.

"Doesn't matter to me." He answered, before looking back to the window and narrowing his eyes.

M'Benga paused, and then said, "Well it should matter. Senior Surgeon is a serious position. The hours are harder and you'll have more responsibility, but the pay's better, and the benefits-"

"I don't care, Geoffrey." Leonard said, turning around fully this time to face him. "My dad's not goin' anywhere any time soon, and I don't _want_ the job. Not yet."

"Doctor McCoy?" Chapel poked her head around the door. "Jim Kirk's here again. I would see to him, but the restraining order I put on him in my head says he can't be in the same room as me."

Leonard nodded, and she walked away, having flicked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Just think about it, Leonard. I'm just warning you. As your friend. Don't be surprised when the promotion comes, okay?"

Leonard was already leaving, and he shot a "Yeah, whatever," over his shoulder before returning to his consulting room.

Jim was already there, sat on top of the bed with a wicked grin and a bloody nose.

"Well _hello_ , Doctor Bones."

"It's McCoy," Leonard corrected, opening up Jim's file and scowling slightly.

Jim winced. "We're grumpy today." he said. "Good to know."

"What's the matter, Jim?" Leonard asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Go out for drinks with me." Jim countered, as if Leonard hadn't even spoke.

"Jim, did you deliberately smash yourface into a wall to come in here an harrass me?" Leonard asked, his face a mixture of shock and annoyance. Inside, he was a little flattered.

Jim shrugged. "Maybe. Just go out with me, Bones."

"McCoy." Leonard reminded him, pointlessly. "And I can't."

"Why can't you?" Jim asked, pouting. Leonard thought he ought to see a pedeatrician rather than a usual doctor, but whatever.

Leonard sighed. "The same reason as always, Jim. I'm married."

"So? There doesn't have to be a relationship out of this. There doesn't have to be sex. Hell, there doesn't even have to be _kissing_." Jim grinned. "Just a little date."

"I can't, and I won't." Leonard said. He opened the door for Jim, standing beside it. "Now get out. I'll start treating you when you stop inflicting injuries on yourself."

"Dammit." Jim muttered. He hung his head as he left, wiping at his bloodied nose. Leonard knew it wasn't broken. In fact, he was sure it was just a nosebleed. He'd seen Jim's nose when it was broken; he had a habit of swelling. So Leonard set him packing, comfortable in the knowledge that he wasn't neglecting a patient.

"See you tomorrow, Doctor Bones." Jim called over his shoulder, sounding more than a little sullen.

"McCoy!" Leonard called after him, growling a little (without any real malice) as he shut the door.

~*~

After their third big fight this week, Leonard wished he had of skipped out on his wife and taken up Jim's offer. Maybe he'd have fun for a change.

Now he was in the car, driving away. Where 'away' was he wasn't sure, but he knew he was going that way.

He had these aimless drives every so often. Whenever a fight with Jocelyn was so bad that the very air in their broken home seemed to hum with electricity, just waiting to ignite a spark and cause a flame. Leonard knew how much Joanna hated the arguing, which was why he left after fights like those. By the time he returned he could take up his usual spot on the sofa wihtout having to worry about Jocelyn coming down for another fight.

Every so often on these drives, Leonard would pick up his father.

"She said I was a good for nuthin' wino." He muttered, scowling out of the windscreen.

"She didn't mean it." David said quietly.

Leonard shook his head. "You don't know, Dad. She's pretty damn serious when she says it."

There was silence in the car. David knew that his kind words would never comfort Leonard, and Leonard knew that David was only trying to help, but he couldn't believe him due to David's lack of experience in marital troubles. Therefore, neither had anything to say to the other.

"You and mom ever fight?" Leonard asked after a short while.

The road they'd found was quiet, with trees on either side. Leonard was guided by his headlights alone as he sped down the road; there were no streetlamps, and if there were, they weren't working.

David shook his head. "Never. Well, once. She wanted to dress you up in a dress for your cousin Lacy's birthday, and I wasn't havin' that. Your momma said I wasn't letting her have her say, said I was being unfair. I said he's my son too. She took it the wrong way; we fought, I slept on the couch, and that was it."

"And you haven't fought since?" Leonard asked.

David shook his head. "I didn't like sleeping on the couch and she didn't like my side of the bed being empty. We had disagreements, sure, but never fights."

Leonard sighed. 'Course they didn't. They were _happy_.

"Look, Leo," David extended a hand, and set it on his son's shoulder. "It doesn't matter that you had a fight. You'll make up in the morning, and everything'll be fine."

"You sure about that?" Leonard asked, taking his eyes from the road to look at his father.

David nodded. "I'm sure, son. Everything's going to be fine."

That was when they hit the tree.

~*~

Leonard woke up. Except, he didn't. He was _awake-_  he was thinking, breathing, he could feel all of his appendages. But he couldn't move. He couldn't open his eyes. He couldn't even speak.

He could hear his wife, "hm"-ing and "oh"-ing by his bedside, and M'Benga's voice telling her something.

_"It was a pretty bad accident. Head on collision. Luckily, Leonard's airbag went off. He wouldn't be here if it hadn't. He did hit his head pretty hard, though, which is why he's still comatose. We're running tests, but we don't know when he'll wake up._

_"And David? Eleanora's been ringing constantly-"_

Silence. And then-

_"Died on impact. His airbag didn't work. Thankfully, it would've been pretty quick._

Leonard was sobbing. He was sobbing, and shaking, except that he wasn't. He was stock still, unable to move but wanting to so badly. His father was dead, and his wife (who, when he woke up, would most definitely be his _ex_ wife) was seemingly apathetic. Leonard tried to sit up, tried to open his eyes, tried to cry out, but he _couldn't_.

_"I'll give you a minute with him, but he's an ICU patient. We'll have to ask you to clear out soon."_

_"That's fine. Thank you."_

Leonard heard a door open and shut, and then he heard high-heeled shoes clicking on the floor tiles. Jocelyn pressed a kiss to his forehead, but it did nothing to wake up him.

 _"Come back to us soon, Leonard."_ She said quietly. _"Our daughter needs you."_

And with that she was gone, and Leonard was almost glad.

~*~

_"Can I at least go in there?_

_"No, Jim. You're not family, and you're not on the list. You can't go in there."_

_"But I have to see Bones! I can wake him up- I know it!"_

_"Jim, as annoying as you are, I don't think even you can bring Leonard back from that coma."_

_"Christine-"_

_"I'll keep you posted, Jim, I promise. But you can't go in there."_

A sigh. Defeat.

_"Thanks anyway, Chris."_

_"Sure, Jim."_

~*~

_"Oh Leonard, honey."_

Eleanora was sobbing. She was sobbing as if she was broken, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

There was a sniffle from somewhere else, a sniffle that Leonard knew all too well. Donna. Donna was back all the way from the Czech Republic to be with him, and their mother. He wished he could open his eyes to see her, but he couldn't. He still couldn't. At least his mother wasn't alone.

"I can't lost them both, Donna, I can't." Eleanora sobbed. And then she added, "I'm sorry, I should- I should be being strong, I-"

Donna hushed her, and for a moment there was nothing but sobbing and whimpering. Leonard felt a hand on his, and his heart ached.

"Can you hear me, Len? Sweetie?" Eleanora asked him, and on the inside Leonard was screaming. _Yes. Yes I can hear you. Mom, I love you. Mom I'm so sorry. I killed him, mom, and I'm so sorry._

"Mrs. McCoy," Chapel said softly. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave now."

Leonard felt shaky breath on his face, and then his mother's lips pressed to his forehead. "Come back to us, Len. Come back soon."

But as much as he tried, Leonard just couldn't.

~*~

_"Is he doing any better?"_

_"No change, Jim. Look, I told you I'd keep you posted, you didn't have to come down here."_

_"I know, but-"_

_"-but you were hoping that if you did I'd let you see him. Well, I can't. I'm sorry, Jim, but when your name is on the Next of Kin list, that's when you can see him."_

_"Is that all it'd take?"_

_"What do you mean is that all? Jim, only Leonard can update his Next of Kin list. And he can't even more his eyelids."_

_"I know. Look, uh, I've gotta go. Text me if anything changes, okay?"_

_"...Okay, Jim."_

~*~

"Can you feel that?"

Leonard could, in fact, feel that. But just because M'Benga was pinching his toe didn't mean he was going to wake up. If a minute-by-minute recount of his father's funeral hadn't woken him, then that certainly wasn't.

"Try the yelling again." M'Benga said softly.

"Leonard!" Christine snapped. "Leonard Horatio McCoy you wake up right this minute! If you can hear us, Leonard, you better do as M'Benga tells you too."

Nothing. Because even if he _could_ wake up, he wasn't going to do so because Christine had yelled a him.

"Update his file," M'Benga said. "Still unresponsive, keep trying."

Christine sighed. "Think he's even gonna make it back?" She asked, as if she _knew_ Leonard could hear him. Leonard would've tilted his head to hear better, if he could have moved.

"Of course he will." M'Benga replied. "He's Leonard McCoy. Hard as nails and stubborn as a mule."

Leonard chuckled. Or rather, he would have.

He listend to their voices getting quieter and quieter as they left the room.

~*~

_"Jim, I told you-"_

_"Check the list."_

_"Jim-"_

_"Check. The. List."_

There was a pause, and a sigh.

And then another pause.

Leonard could almost feel Jim's smugness radiating through the door.

_"How the-"_

_"Can I go in now?"_

_"Jim, I don't know how you did this, but-"_

_"You said I had to be on the list to get in. I'm on the list, Christine. Let me in."_

_"Jim-"_

_"Christine."_

There was a pause, and Leonard heard the sound of the door rolling open, and then clicking shut. Leonard heard a chair scraping against the floor, and he heard the sound of Jim's breathing. Already he felt different; when Jim reached out to touch his hand, Leonard felt a jolt.

"Well it's been two months," Jim said, as if Leonard were awake and fully functioning. "But I finally got that harpie out there to let me in."

Leonard would have laughed, but he was stuck. He couldn't laugh.

"I guess we can't go for drinks now," Jim said, running his thumb over Jim's knuckles. "Unless I inject some bourbon into your drip bag."

Again, he would've laughed. But again, he couldn't.

"They're starting to give up." Jim said. "Your wife has. Your daughter's getting there. I know cause I spoke to your mom. She loves me by the way. Which I think is more of a reason to go out with me but hey, I'll not push it."

Well, that made a change.

"But I won't give up, Bones. I know you barely know me, well, you probably know me pretty well, with my med file and everything, but- yeah. I really like you, Leonard. And I don't ever really like people. I have one night stands, and they occasional girlfriend, but I never think that I could realistically spend the rest of my life with a person. Not until I met you. So I'm not going to give up. Not ever. I'll be here as long as you want me here. And seeing as you can't say otherwise, I'm gonna assume that you do."

Jim pressed his lips ever so softly to Leonard's, his breath hitting the doctor's skin.

Leonard sighed against the kiss, leaning up to push back against Jim's lips.

When Jim pulled away, startled, he was initially confused. Had he not wanted Leonard to kiss him back? Had he not liked it? Had Leonard done something wrong?

And then Leonard remembered that he was supposed to be comatose, and he grinned.

"Nice to see you, Jim." He said, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

"Nice to see you, Doctor McCoy." Jim murmured in return.

"Bones." Leonard corrected.

Jim grinned. "Bones." He nodded.

They regarded each other, silent for a moment. Jim was grinning like an idiot, and Leonard was sure his expression was a dead match.

"Jim, you really need to le- _Leonard_?"

Christine gaped at them both. And then she grew a grin of her own, before stepping out of the room. "I'll go get a doctor!"

She sprinted from their room, and Leonard looked to Jim.

"It's nice to have you back, Sleeping Beauty." Jim grinned.

Leonard had lost his father, and he hadn't had the chance to say goodbye. His marriage was over, and his family all but broken. But when he looked at Jim, and the genuine happiness in his eyes, he felt a little bit of hope.

"It's nice to _be_ back, Prince Charming."

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone has an prompts, please do throw them at me. I'm very lacking in the prompt department at the minute, and seeing as it's now the Christmas holidays, I'll have plenty of time to write!


End file.
